The Swing Dutchman
is a felling method used to pull a tree against its lean so it will fall in a more
desirable direction. As shown in the above figure, it is similar to the Dutchman in that
the two front cuts do not meet exactly. It is made by leaving a section of the undercut on
one corner of the face. The portion left consists of a singlesaw
kerf in one side of the face, with
the face completely removed on the opposite side of the face cut. A single saw kerf must
never extend completely across the stump (which would result in a full Dutchman).

Although it is common practice in certain areas of the country, the Swing Dutchman may
cause the same hazardous results as the Dutchman cut; i.e., excessive stress on the hinge
causing excessive fiber pull, splitting of the butt, or barber chairing and uncontrolled
fall. It is therefore not a recommended practice.

The function of the notch is to allow the tree to
fall without breaking the hinge prematurely. The top or bottom cut is performed
first and then the second cut is made and both cuts should meet exactly. If the two
cuts do not meet exactly (bypass0 the notch cannot perform its function. These
small notches close up before the tree has fallen even half way to the ground. When
this happens, stress is put on the hinge causing it to break prematurely, resulting in
fiber pull, splitting of the butt or barber chairing. All of these actions are
dangerous to the logger.